Lifesaving raft



R. S, CHIPCHASE July 14, 1942.

Y LIFESAVING RAFT 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Sept. l2, 1941 R. S. CHIPCHASE July 14, 1942.

` LIFEsAvING RAFT Filed Sept. l2.v 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 14, 1942 l LIFEsAvING .RAFT

Robert Stanley Chipchase, South Shields,

` England Application September 12, 1941 Serial No. 410,523 In GreatBritain April' 1211940 9 Claims.

This invention relates to, and has for its ob.-

Vject the provision of improvements in, life saving rafts.

'Rafts are, of course, .particularly valuable for use in dire emergency when a ships lifeboats cannot kbe launched and in the specications of British patent application No. 1,525/40 led January 25, 1940, andUnited States application S. No. 382,356 filed March 8, 1941, now Patent 2,231,233, issued April 28, 1942, I have described rafts and means for launching them or ensuring that they will float ofi upon the sinking ofthe ship. My presentinvention is specially whichever way up the structure oats on the water, one end Will be overhung to constitute the bow end and the other end will face at an angle upwardly to constitute the stern end.

In order that the invention may be the more VclearlyA understood a raft in accordance therewith will now be described, reference being made tothe accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of said raft; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is a section on line A--A of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on line B-B of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a sectional perspective diagram :illustrating-an important accessory device.

Referring to the drawings, the raft is, as clearly shown, in the general shape of a parallelopiped, having its top and bottom parallel and horizontal, its sides parallel and vertical, and its stern and bow ends parallel but inclined to the vertical so that the bow end is overhung facing at an `angle downwardly, and the stern end faces at an angle upwardly. The raft is identical top and bottom so that it will be the same whichever Way it falls into the water. Either end will thus be the stem or stern end according to which way the raft falls into the water.

The raft, in its general structure, consists of spaced spars in the Vmanner of a chicken crate which spars would usually be of wood but in some cases-,might be of pressed steel. Thus the sides ofgthe raft consist of spaced spars I to '4 and the 55 top and bottom consist of spacedsparsi `to I'. The .-side spars I to 4 extend the full length of the parallelopiped and are secured to the stem and stern ends Il. The prismatic ends ofthe raft are partitioned 01T by means of ,partitions I8 (Figure 1) to form end compartments and the sides of these end compartments are closed in by means of short boards'lS, 20 and 2l. The top and bottom spars 5 to I6 extend only as far as these partitions I8 and the remaining space between each oi these partitions and the projecting end of the prismati-c compartment is occupied by a door 22 adapted to swing about a hinge 23 asindicated and t thus giveV accessto the Aprismatic compartment which happens to be at the bow end. The doors are fastened at theirlclosed positions 'by means of hasps `22a. For obtaining accessto the prismatic compartment which happens to be atthe stern end, each of the ends Il is provided with a sliding wooden door 24. These prismatic compartments may be divided into separate compartments to house first aid equipmentand the standard Board of Trade equipment and various adjuncts such as canvas to form protection screens and awnings, sails and thelike.

It Will be seen thatthe raft isprovided with central .top land bottom wells, either of which serves according to which way up the raft falls into the water. To provide these wells, the innermost spars I0 and Il both top and bottomare spaced widely apart and inner longitudinal spars 25, 2t` and 2l Yare provided to form the sides of these wells as shown in Figure 4, saidinner longitudinal spars extending between thepartitions I8. The two wells are separated bya stowage compartment in which oars and masts may be stored as indicated in Figure 4. This vstovvage compartment is constituted by ,two sets oi `Well floor boards 28 (Figure 4). The,centre,one28a (Figure 2) of these Well iloor boards is fixed, being secured at its two ends to the partitions J3; the twoouter ones 281) are removable-forgiving access to the stovvage space. Normallygthese outer floor boardsZBbare maintained inplace by means of swivel battens,23.'.lJiJ/otally` mounted on the inner floorboardaandlyingathwartthe three iloorboards as shown VinFigure 1. `When it is desired to removethe ,outer floonboards 28h, these swivel battens29 `are rotatedto their longitudinal positions.

Rowlock holes 3U are proyidedwat thesides of the raft both top and bttomas shown in Figure 2, and the removableHwg-:jlll floor boards 28h are provided with projectingtongues 3| which may be inserted .into thesenrowlocklholes as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, so that said floor boards 28D can serve as weather boards.

The spaces encaged by the sparring on each side of the wells and stowage space are occupied, as best shown in Figure 4, by buoyancy tanks 32 which may be filled with Kapok or other buoyant material or object. These buoyancy tanks are four in number being arranged two on each side- Between the buoyancy tanks 32 on one side is located a bread tank 33 (Figure 1) and between Athe buoyancy tanks 32 on the other side is located a Water tank 34. 'I'o accommodate the bread tank 33 the boards 6 and 1 and 8 and 9 both at the top and at the bottom are separated as shown and between them is mounted the bread tank structure. The bread tank extends right through the depth of the raft and is provided both at the top and the bottom with a screw cap 35.

In like manner, to accommodate the water tank 34, the boards I2 and I3 and I4 and I5 are separated, and the water tank structure is mounted between them. Said water tank is provided top and bottom with a screw cap 35.

Sockets 31 and 38 for receiving large and small masts 39 and 40 are mounted against the partitions I8 as shown, said sockets being capable of receiving the masts in either direction according to which way up the raft is floating, the large mast 39 being always in front.

Projecting from each end I1 in the centre vertical plane of the raft is a clump stem or 1in 4I with a horizontal upper (or lower) edge and a vertical outer edge as shown. Mounted on this upper (or lower) edge near the outer end is a socket 42 for receiving a rowlock 43 for a steering oar. Alternatively or additionally the clump stems might have tments to receive the co-cperating litments of a rudder.

Each end I1 has mounted thereon hand rails 44 to aid survivors in reaching the raft from the water when that end is the rear end, and a footstep ledge 45 is provided at the outer eX- tremity of said end I1 for the same purpose. It will be noted that the sloping nature of the end I1 gives easy access to the raft from the water. The ends I1 also have cleats 45 mounted there- Staples 41 are provided at intervals along the side spars I and 4 for supporting a life line 48. Pivoted to each side of the raft a lee board 49 may be provided. When not in use, these lee boards will be stowed horizontally alongside the raft, and when in use they will be swung to the vertical position at which they dip into the water and prevent the raft from making lee- Way. If desired the lee boards may have at their ends webbed paddles which open and close as the lee boards are oscillated in reverse directions, and thus the raft may be propelled.

Canvas wings 50 extend from the edges of each door 22 to the top of the raft so that when the door is at the open position (where means are provided for securing it) it will, together with said canvas wings, act as a wind trap or sail by which the raft may be propelled if there is a following wind, or as a storm hood for affording protection in the case of a head wind. In construction it will be observed that the partitions I8 are mounted in place by being secured to a number of horizontal cross spars 5I which, together with vertical spars 52 at their ends, are secured to the side spars I to 4 by yaasaea means of angle brackets 53. The clump stem 4| may be mounted on the top and bottom cross spars 5I by projections 54 therefrom (Figure 3) being secured between angle brackets 55 mounted on said spars 5I.

Figure 4 shows how a piece of tarpaulin 56 may be used to line and keep dry the whole space occupied by the personnel. This tarpaulin, as will be clear from the drawing, lines the well and passes over the top sparring 5 to I6 and alongside the floor boards 28h when used as weather boards. The tarpaulin could be passed around the door 22 when at its up position, and, at the other end, around hinged 1 posts not shown. In the particular arrangement illustrated this tarpaulin passes underneath the swivel battens 29 and is thus kept in place, but any other arrangement may be preferred. In order to aid further in keeping the well dry, boarding 51 is preferably nailed on the inner longitudinal spars 25, 26, 21.

Figure 5 illustrates an important accessory device to protect the feet and legs of the occupants from water which may collect in the well of the raft. This consists of a foot containing channel or envelope 6D closed at each end by the end panels 6I. From one edge of this channel 6I! a seat flap 63 is provided which lies along the top of the buoyancy tanks 32 and upon this ilap the occupants of the raft sit side by side with their feet and the lower parts of their legs in the channel or container 60. From the other or outer edge of this channel or container an apron flap 54 proceeds and when in operation this apron is drawn over the knees of the occupants. This device is made of thin waterproof material and when not in use can be folded flat and into small compass and stowed away in any convenient position. These devices will be made 'f substantially the length of the seating accomidentical top and bottom so that it is immaterial which way it falls into the water, this is not necessarily entirely true. In many cases the raft is intended to be launched one particular way up. If, by accident, it should be launched "1 upside down, it will still serve quite effectively in all essentials, but, since such an accident is not likely to occur often, it may be found better, for economic or other reasons, not to duplicate all the ttings top and bottom, but to risk the I inconvenience of the absence of some of them should the raft fall into the water upside down.

F01` example, it may be found better not to duplicate the hinged door 22 and the sliding door 24. lI'hen, if the raft should fall upside down it would be necessary to obtain access to the end compartments through an emergency opening in the partitions I8.

I have described my structure as having prismatic or triangular ends but it will be understood that other suitable conformations may be adopted without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Thus by my invention I have provided a raft which can be controlled and navigated and which can be launched where timepermits but which, even if iloated oli" and subjected to heavy seas, must finally rest upon the sea in iioatable and navigable position. Furthermore, regardless of the position assumed by the raft, an inclined stern will be presented to persons climbing in from the water so that they need not climbI up over the sides of the raft.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A raft structure adapted to float either -way up, having top and bottom sides with depressions therein adapted to accommodate passengers, and two rigidly affixed ends extending `across the width of the raft, said ends being similar and inclined in such a way that, whichever way up the structure floats on the water, one end will be overhung to constitute the bow end and the other end will face at an angle upwardly to constitute the stern end.

2. A raft structure adapted to float 'either way up, which comprises a framework with the general shape of a parallelopiped, and having its sides vertical and parallel, its top and bottom horizontal and parallel and its ends inclined and parallel, said top and bottom having depressed center wells therein for accommodating passengers.

3. A raft structure according to claim 2, wherein the two ends are provided with hand rails to aid survivors to obtain access to the raft particularly at the stern end.

4. A raft structure according to claim 2, wherein the prismatic ends are partitioned off to provide compartments, doors for said compartments arranged to provide access at the top when the compartment is at the bow end and at the sloping end when the compartment is at the stern end, said door at the top being forwardly hinged and fitted with canvas between its side edges and the deck so that when it is at the open position a wind trap or sail is constituted by which the structure may be propelled by a following wind, and a storm hood is constituted which gives protection in the case of a head wind.

5. A raft structure adapted to float either way up, which has the general shape of a parallelopiped having its sides vertical and parallel, its top and bottom horizontal and parallel and which has fixed ends inclined and parallel, partitions in the prismatic ends of said raft structure, said structure including means forming a center Well at both the top and bottom thereof, each of said wells extending longitudinally between the partitions in the prismatic ends of said structure.

6. A raft structure according to claim 5, wherein, the bottoms of the two Wells are spaced from one another whereby an elongated storage space is provided for masts, oars and the like, and means providing access to such space from either well.

'7. A raft structure according to claim 5, wherein the bottom of each well is constituted by floor boards secured longitudinally of the raft and means removably mounting certain of said iioor boards on the remaining structure, whereby such boards may be removed and mounted at the sides of the raft to serve as weather boards and means at the sides of said raft for detachably holding such boards in place.

8. A raft structure adapted to iloat either way up, which has the general shape of a parallelopiped having its sides vertical and parallel, its top and bottom horizontal and parallel and its ends inclined and parallel, partitions in the prismatic ends of said raft structure, said structure having a center well at both the top and bottom thereof, each of said wells extending longitudinally between the partitions in the prismatic ends of said structure, the bottom of each well being constituted by iioor boards extending longitudinally of the raft, cross members supporting said floor boards, certain of which are removable and adapted to be mounted at the sides of the raft to serve as weather boards, the sides of said raft structure having rowlock holes, and said removable iioor boards having projections engageable in said rowlock holes when said removable floor boards are mounted to serve as weather boards.

9. A raft structure according to claim 2, wherein the structure is provided with buoyancy tanks located within the framework of the structure on each side of said well.

ROBERT STANLEY CHIPCHASE. 

